JPS5824735B2 - oil level gauge - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an oil level gauge installed at a gas station or the like and used to measure the increase or decrease in oil such as gasoline stored in an underground tank.

Traditionally, two types of devices have been used.The first type has a weight and a float attached to both ends of a chain or tape. is wound around the shaft of one of the two main rolls on which the scale tape is wound, and therefore the drive transmission between the two rolls was done via springs, bevel gears, etc. Therefore, mechanical resistance inevitably increases, making it impossible to check even minute changes in the oil level, and the device becomes larger, which has the drawback of poor compatibility with existing measuring tube sockets of different diameters. The second type is a simple type in which a float and a weight are attached to both free ends of a scale tape passed between two main rolls, and the production cost is low. Moreover, it is easy to adapt to vertical pipes installed between the ground and underground tanks for inserting measuring tubes or measuring rods of various diameters, and can be attached to the socket of existing measuring tubes. However, since the scale tape is introduced inside the tank, it is inevitable that oil will adhere to its surface, which may cause the scale tape to slip on the hoist roll. It is difficult to easily and accurately measure the oil level, and in the case of tanks containing heavy oil or waste oil, the scale cannot be read due to oil adhering to the surface of the scale tape, making it impossible to measure the oil level. So,
It had drawbacks such as limited use and poor practicality.

Furthermore, as an oil level gauge of a type in which a main roll for winding up a scale tape is rotated by balancing the rotational forces of a float and a weight, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 50-45311, One main roll is provided in the factory, a scale tape with one end fixed to the main roll is wrapped around the outer peripheral surface of the main roll, and the free end of the scale tape is stretched over a guide roll and then introduced into an underground tank. The tip of the chain is connected to a float floating on the oil surface in the tank, and a small diameter sub-roll for hoisting a weight is attached and fixed to the rotating shaft of the main roll, and one end is fixed to the sub-roll. Alternatively, oil level gauges have been known that have a structure in which the scale tape is wound around the main roll in the opposite direction and a weight is suspended from the free end of the tape. Although it has the advantage that it can be easily adapted to existing measuring tubes with different diameters, the scale tape itself is introduced into the tank and connected to the float, so it is difficult to apply it to the surface of the scale tape. Adhesion of oil is inevitable, and therefore, when used to measure the oil level in a heavy oil tank or waste oil tank, it has the disadvantage that the scale on the scale tape cannot be read.

The present invention eliminates the drawbacks of the conventional oil level gauge as described above, and makes it possible to easily and precisely adjust the scales and graduations of a scale tape without being limited in its application by the type of oil stored in an underground tank. The purpose of this invention is to provide an oil level gauge that can read and accurately measure the oil level, and the oil level gauge according to the present invention is as shown in the accompanying drawings. In an oil level gauge of the type in which the main roll for winding up the scale tape is rotated by balancing the rotational forces of a float and a weight, the scale tape 1 is hung and the two free ends are rotated in opposite directions. For winding, in order to drive and rotate the rotating shafts 2' and 3' of the fixed pair of main rolls 2 and 3 in mutually opposite directions, the rotating shaft 2' of one of the main rolls 2 is used.
Above this main roll 2 is a first sub-roll 4 for hoisting a weight with a small diameter, and on the other hand, on the rotating shaft 3' of the main roll 3 is a second sub-roll 4 for hoisting a float having the same diameter as this main roll 3. The rolls 5 are each attached and fixed, and a chain or tape 6 with one end fixed to the first sub-roll 4 is wound in the opposite direction to the winding direction of the scale tape 1 around the main roll 2, and its free end is wound. A weight B is suspended from the second sub-roll 5, and a chain or tape 7, one end of which is fixed to this sub-roll, is wrapped around the main roll 3 in a direction opposite to the direction in which the scale tape 1 is wound around the main roll 3. Its structural feature is that the end portion is introduced into the underground tank 11 and connected to the float A floating on the oil surface in the tank.

In the figure, 9 is a case, 10 is a measuring tube (including a socket part), 11 is an underground tank, and 12 is a guide roll.

Also, the scale tape is made of stainless steel.

According to the oil level gauge of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration, the scale tape 1 wound between the pair of main rolls 2 and 3 is such that one of the main rolls 2 is connected to its rotating shaft 2. The rotational force in one direction is given by the gravity acting on the weight B suspended from the tip of the chain or tape 6 wrapped around the first sub-roll 4 on the Appropriate tension is always applied because rotational force in the opposite direction is applied by the gravity acting on the float A attached to the tip of the chain or tape 7 wrapped around the second auxiliary roll 5 on the rotating shaft 3'. The diameter of the first auxiliary roll 4 is smaller than the diameter of the second auxiliary roll 5, which has the same diameter as the main rolls 2 and 3, so that the scale can be read accurately. By using a lightweight float A calculated and determined according to the value of the diameter ratio and balancing it with a relatively heavy weight, the float A can easily and smoothly move up and down as the oil level rises and falls. is possible, and furthermore, float A based on a relatively wide range of changes in the oil level.
The vertical movement over a relatively wide range can also be balanced by the movement of the weight B over a short distance range, which is the movement distance of the float A multiplied by the reciprocal of the ratio of the diameters of the first and second auxiliary rolls 4 and 5. Therefore, there is no risk of entanglement of the chains or tapes 6 and 7 suspending the weight B and the float A, respectively.

According to the oil level gauge of the present invention having the above configuration, the following useful effects can be achieved.

That is, (a) a chain or tape 6 wrapped around its outer circumference;
The rotational force is applied to the first sub roll 4 by the gravity acting on the weight B suspended from the weight B, and the second sub roll is caused by the gravity acting on the float A connected to the chain or tape 7 wrapped around the outer circumference of the first sub roll 4. 5 are balanced in opposite directions, the vertical movement of the float A in response to changes in the oil level in the tank 11 is extremely smooth and accurate through the rotation of the second auxiliary roll 5. When the scale tape 1 is applied to the main rolls 2 and 3, the movement of the scale tape 1 is transmitted to the two main rolls 2 and 3, which causes the scale tape 1 to move by an amount that matches the vertical movement of the float A. 2' and 3' are weight B
The scale tape 1, which is passed around both main rolls 2 and 3, is always given an appropriate tension and kept in a taut state, based on which rotational forces are applied in opposite directions by the float A. In addition, in order to transmit the vertical movement of the float A to the scale tape 1, what is introduced into the tank and connected to the float is not the scale tape 1 itself, but a second sub-roll provided separately from the scale tape. Since the surface of the scale tape 1 is not contaminated by oil due to the chain or tape 7 wrapped around the scale 5, the scale of the scale tape 1 can be read clearly and precisely, and even minute changes in the oil level can be reliably and accurately detected. (b) As mentioned above, the scale tape 1 itself is not introduced into the tank 11, so oil does not adhere to the surface of the scale tape, so the oil level in the heavy oil tank or waste oil tank can be easily detected. The scale of the scale tape 1 can be read accurately even when used for measurement, and there are no restrictions on the use of the oil level gauge. There is no need to provide gears or other interlocking mechanisms, and the diameter of the first auxiliary roll 4 for hoisting the weight is smaller than that of the second auxiliary roll 5 for hoisting the float, so the small and lightweight float A can be used. Therefore, it is possible to downsize the entire device, it is easy to adapt to measuring tubes having various diameters, and it is also compatible with existing oil surface types.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an oil level gauge according to the present invention, FIG.
The figure is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the oil level gauge shown in FIG. 1 taken along lines I--I and ■ to ■ in the same figure, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing an example of use of the oil level gauge of the present invention. 1: Graduation tape, 2, 3: Main roll, 4: Second sub-roll, 5: Second sub-roll, 6, 7: Tape. or chain, A: float, B: weight.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a type of liquid level gauge that rotates the main roll for winding the scale tape by balancing the rotational forces of a float and a weight, the scale tape 1 is passed around and both free ends are wound in opposite directions. The rotating shafts 2' and 3' of the fixed pair of main rolls 2 and 3 are driven in mutually opposite directions.
In order to rotate, a first auxiliary roll 4 for winding up a weight having a diameter smaller than that of the main roll 2 is placed on the rotation shaft 2' of one of the main rolls 2, and a first auxiliary roll 4 for winding up a weight is placed on the rotation shaft 3' of the other main roll 3. A second sub roll 5 for hoisting a float having the same diameter as the main roll 3 is attached and fixed, and a chain or tape 6 with one end fixed to the first sub roll 4 is attached to the scale tape 1 relative to the main roll 2. A chain or tape 7 is wound in the opposite direction to the winding direction and a weight B is suspended from the free end of the chain or tape 7, which is fixed at one end to the secondary roll 1. The scale tape 1 is wound around the main roll 3. An oil level gauge characterized in that it is wound in a direction opposite to the attaching direction and its free end is introduced into an underground tank 11 and connected to a float A floating on the oil surface in the tank.